The Chinese Exclusion Act

The lesson below is based on a lesson developed by the Stanford History Education Group. The original lesson can be found at:
http://sheg.stanford.edu/?q=node/31

Standards


8.12 Students analyze the transformation of the American economy and the changing social and political conditions in the United States in response to the Indus-trial Revolution.

Identify the new sources of large-scale immigration and the contributions of immigrants to the building of cities and the economy; explain the ways in which new social and economic patterns encouraged assimilation of newcomers into the mainstream amidst growing cultural diversity; and discuss the new wave of nativism.

Lesson Activities


Before introductin the lesson, have the students participate in the Zoom-In activity



Then, briefly provide background information on Chinese immegration to the United States using the following flipchart (note, there is a video linked to the 5th page):



Have students use the following graphic organizer and primary source documents to help them investigate the reasons why Americans supported the Chinese Exclusion Act: